DISNEYLAND

We met lots of our friends at Disneyland!

Mt. Rainier

We went hiking at Paradise on Mt. Rainier this weekend. We did awesome! It was our longest hike ever. We went 1.5 miles up to the Skyline trail - it was straight up the whole way! Then, a picnic lunch and back to the car.

On the way, we saw beautiful flowers. Our favorite was this type called "Mouse on a Stick!"

Here we are at a rest stop on the way up.

The wildlife - we saw lots of Marmots! One was at the top of the field playing look-out. He screached and screamed at us to warn the other Marmots to hide.

Here we are with Grandma on the bridge over a waterfall

Ice Cream - a well deserved treat after a long hike!

BACKYARD OLYMPICS

We hosted a backyard Olympics this past weekend in celebration of the Beijing Olympics. Our Athletes had a wonderful time and did a great job. At the end, everyone got a gold medal, and the children were so thrilled. The boys have worn theirs non-stop for the past 3 days!
MARATHON RUNNER

WATER BALLOON TOSS

WHEELBARROW RACE

CRAB WALK

Putting the event on was a Marathon alone. We were exhausted but happy by the end!

The Camel!

We finished all of our meetings, and spent the afternoon at Chinese Cultural Village here in SHenzhen. I could't pass up the chance to sit on a CAMEL for photos! We named him "Carmello."

India

We spent two tiring days in India. Lots of sensory overload - it all was a bit much by the end. We are glad to be heading to Hong Kong and the familiar later today!

Some photos from the road:

The Market:

The metal factory.

My customer Rick takes fabulous photos, even from a moving car. The few below were taken by him on the road to Moradabad.

Hauling a boat by water buffalo on the road from Moradabad.

A large family of monkeys we saw. At first they were quite scared of the car. The Male came to check us out. After he left showing no danger, the rest came closer to the car. Lots of little babies.

This posting from the US Embassy website perfectly explains the traffic we experienced on our 10 hour round trip drive to and from Moradabad yesterday!

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning India is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.Travel by road in India is dangerous. A number of U.S. citizens have suffered fatal traffic accidents in recent years. Travel at night is particularly hazardous. Buses, patronized by hundreds of millions of Indians, are convenient in that they serve almost every city of any size. However, they are usually driven fast, recklessly, and without consideration for the rules of the road. Accidents are quite common. Trains are safer than buses, but train accidents still occur more frequently than in developed countries.In order to drive in India, one must have either a valid Indian driver’s license or a valid international driver’s license. Because of difficult road and traffic conditions, many Americans who visit India wisely choose to hire a local driver.On Indian roads, the safest driving policy is to always assume that other drivers will not respond to a traffic situation in the same way you would in the United States. On Indian roads, might makes right, and buses and trucks epitomize this fact. For instance, buses and trucks often run red lights and merge directly into traffic at yield points and traffic circles. Cars, auto-rickshaws, bicycles and pedestrians behave only slightly more cautiously. Frequent use of one's horn or flashing of headlights to announce one's presence is both customary and wise.Outside major cities, main roads and other roads are poorly maintained and congested. Even main roads often have only two lanes, with poor visibility and inadequate warning markers. On the few divided highways one can expect to meet local transportation traveling in the wrong direction, often without lights. Heavy traffic is the norm and includes (but is not limited to) overloaded trucks and buses, scooters, pedestrians, bullock and camel carts, horse or elephant riders en route to weddings, bicycles, and free-roaming livestock. Traffic in India moves on the left. It is important to be alert while crossing streets and intersections, especially after dark as traffic is coming in the "wrong" direction (i.e., from the left). Travelers should remember to use seatbelts in both rear and front seats where available, and to ask their drivers to maintain a safe speed.If a driver hits a pedestrian or a cow, the vehicle and its occupants are at risk of being attacked by passersby. Such attacks pose significant risk of injury or death to the vehicle's occupants or at least of incineration of the vehicle. It can thus be unsafe to remain at the scene of an accident of this nature, and drivers may instead wish to seek out the nearest police station.Protestors often use road blockage as a means of publicizing their grievances, causing severe inconvenience to travelers. Visitors should monitor local news reports for any reports of road disturbances.

Dinner

We went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City called "Tib", that serves traditional Vietnamese Cuisine. Our hosts told us it is in the style that was prepared for the Kings. The food was amazing. We sat in the room that President Bush and Prime Minister Howard (Australia) sat in when they ate at the same restaurant!

Our waitress rolled our spring rolls for us at the table.

Vietnam

We are now in Vietnam - weather is hot and sticky. It is amazing how much it has changed since last year. The airport is all new - very efficient. We were the first in line at customs, and our bags were still on the baggage claim when we got downstairs! The roads have also improved quite a bit.
This is our hotel. The Rex was the hotel where many journalists stayed during the Vietnam war. The rooftop bar is well known as well from that time.

Boat Shop - they make beautiful wooden boats here that can be purchased for very reasonable prices. It is hard to choose!

Group photo - we visited the Minh Long porcelain factory and showroom. They make wonderful porcelain - it was unbelievable how beautiful it is!

Hangzhou

When we were in Hangzhou, we visited XiHu (West Lake). There was a small island with many TURTLES in the water. They were everywhere, and crawling up onto the ledge for the sun. Very cute.

Camping at Fort Flagler

We had lots of fun camping at Fort Flagler. We went on a long bike ride to see the old barracks and other spots. It was a dirt road and our training wheels kept getting stuck, so Mommy ended up pulling us in the trailer. She was TIRED! We also spent lots of time playing at the beach. We love camping!

Tall Ships

The TALL SHIPS came to town. We had a lot of fun visiting the ships, and learning to be pirates.
How do we make the cannon fire????? Where's the gunpowder?!?

Ringing the bell. You can only ring to the front. It won't go side to side so the bell won't ring when the boat is in bumpy seas.

The Nina

Loading the cargo on the pirate ship. This is HARD work. We had to move 4 sacks each! The head pirate complained because he kept on getting "Short" crew to help.

Who doesn't love a good game of "Bat the Rat?"

This darn rat won't go in.

Happy Fourth of July

We rode our bikes in the THIRD Annual North Slope Kiddie Parade. We have been in the parade all three years. It is always good fun because we get COOKIES at the end :)

CAMPING

S'MORES are the best part of camping!!!! Lazer show at the Coulee Dam

Nature walk.

We had so much fun camping at Sun Lake. The first night was a bit too windy - the tent almost blew away! The rest of the weekend was great.